EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/13/21
PIPELINE NEWS
Associated Press: Hundreds rally in Va. in opposition to natural gas pipeline
Roanoke Times: Rev. William Barber joins activists in Richmond challenging Mountain Valley Pipeline
WDBJ: Pipeline opponents hold ‘violation vigil’ in Richmond
Roanoke Times: A pipeline runs through it: Stream crossings by the Mountain Valley Pipeline
Ottumwa Courier: Navigator makes pipeline pitch to Wapello County residents
Pen City Current: Navigator tries to sway landowners on pipeline path
The Hawk Eye: Navigator CO2 Venture's Heartland Greenway pipeline meets skepticism in Des Moines County
Alexandria Echo Press: Western Otter Tail County eyed for piece of massive pipeline
Raleigh News & Observer: Environmentalists: Army Corps was wrong to authorize Robeson County gas pipelines
WHYY: Mariner East Pipeline Builder to Pay Over $4 Million in Settlement Over Marsh Creek Lake Spill
Canadian Press: Limits on oil production no longer needed, Alberta government says
Bloomberg: Trans Mountain pipeline shutdown effects to ripple into new year
Burnaby Beacon: Should Trans Mountain get to bypass a Burnaby fire safety bylaw?
NOW Toronto: In photos: Coastal GasLink off Wet’suwet’en Territory March
WESA: He wanted to help Snitz Creek. Instead, he watched Sunoco pollute it
The Observer: Enbridge reporting progress on capital projects in Sarnia area
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: SIDE SWIPED
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Alaska weighs asking feds for wetlands permit powers
Bloomberg: Mysterious Methane Plumes Spotted Above Texas Oil and Gas Fields
San Francisco Chronicle: These Bay Area refineries want to ditch crude oil for biofuels. Critics say that’s a bad idea
Los Angeles Times: California regulators sign off on phaseout of new gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers
EXTRACTION
Calgary Herald: Future of oilsands looks steady, less so for natural gas
Environmental Health News: Community activists lauded in fight for environmental and racial justice
CLIMATE FINANCE
Bloomberg: Biden Halts Federal Aid to New Fossil Fuel Projects Overseas
E&E News: Biden to end fossil fuel financing abroad
Truthout: ALEC Is Pushing a Bill That Punishes Banks for Divesting From Fossil Fuels
E&E News: Support builds for reversing Trump’s limits on ESG investing
Missoulian: UM faculty votes to divest from fossil fuels
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
New York Times: A P. R. Giant Is Caught Between Climate Pledges and Fossil Fuel Clients
OPINION
Dispatches from the Frontlines: Planting Strength, Harvesting Hope
Sioux City Journal: LETTER: Carbon capture and storage is not worth the effort
Roanoke Times: Munley: Mountain Valley Pipeline harms the environment and the economy
Yale Climate Connections: How ‘Big Oil’ works the system and keeps winning
Colorado Sun: Opinion: From Utah with love: a warning about oil trains that could be rolling through Colorado
Toronto Star: Odd alliance of investors and environmentalists keep oil stocks afloat
Utility Dive: Fuel neutrality, pipeline environmental reviews and a return to common sense at FERC
PIPELINE NEWS
Associated Press: Hundreds rally in Va. in opposition to natural gas pipeline
12/12/21
“Hundreds of opponents of a natural gas pipeline rallied on Saturday in Virginia’s capital in advance of an upcoming key regulatory decision,” the Associated Press reports. “The Virginia State Water Control Board is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to allow construction of portions of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in wetlands and across over 200 Virginia waterways. The Rev. William Barber, a North Carolina-based civil rights leader, told the crowd at Byrd Park that projects like the proposed pipeline are “an abusive sin” that would harm the poor... “Barber, who is now the head of the national Repairers of the Breach movement among other roles, pointed out how developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline cancelled the project in 2020 following fierce opposition by environmental groups and residents along parts of the line’s path. “We had to fight against one pipeline,” Barber said. “They should have learned by now, Virginians aren’t having this stuff. West Virginians aren’t having it. North Carolinians aren’t having it. They must not know who we are, but they’ll learn.” Mountain Valley Pipeline spokesperson Natalie Cox called Barber’s message that the project is sinful “an uninformed and unproductive comment.”
Roanoke Times: Rev. William Barber joins activists in Richmond challenging Mountain Valley Pipeline
Patrick Wilson, 12/11/21
”Civil rights leader the Rev. William J. Barber II preached to a crowd of several hundred in Richmond on Saturday against the Mountain Valley Pipeline, calling projects like the proposed natural gas line “an abusive sin” that would harm the poor,” the Roanoke Times reports. “Barber was the keynote speaker at a rally in advance of a state regulatory board vote on an aspect of the proposed natural gas line. The line would run more than 300 miles from West Virginia to Virginia with an extension from Pittsylvania County, Va., into North Carolina. The proposal has led to years of intense political fights over environmental quality in all three states. The Virginia State Water Control Board is to vote Tuesday on whether to allow pipeline construction in wetlands and across more than 200 of Virginia waterways. There will be no public comment at the meeting, so groups opposing the pipeline coordinated the rally at Byrd Park’s Dogwood Dell, where people symbolically announced each of the project’s more than 300 violations of Virginia’s water protection laws… “We had to fight against one pipeline,” Barber said. “They should have learned by now, Virginians aren’t having this stuff. West Virginians aren’t having it. North Carolinians aren’t having it. They must not know who we are, but they’ll learn.” He called the MVP construction and environmental impacts abusive to poor communities.”
WDBJ: Pipeline opponents hold ‘violation vigil’ in Richmond
Joe Dashiell, 12/12/21
“Opponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline held a ‘Violation Vigil’ Saturday in advance of a key hearing in Richmond next week,” WDBJ reports. “The event at the Dogwood Dell amphitheater highlighted more than 300 water quality violations along the path of the pipeline in Virginia. “My violation is number 48,” one of the participants said during the event. “It happened on January 22nd 2019 in Franklin County.” Tuesday, the State Water Control Board will consider a key permit that would allow MVP to cross more than 200 streams and wetlands in the Commonwealth. “And we must understand that when we fight this fight against the pipelines or environmental injustice, we’re fighting against lives being destroyed,” said keynote speaker Rev. William Barber II, Chair of the National Poor People’s Campaign. " We’re fighting against communities being disrupted,” he said. Friday, a spokesperson for the Mountain Valley Pipeline told WDBJ crews have successfully completed multiple crossings. In a written statement, Natalie Cox told WDBJ completing construction and fully restoring the remainder of the right-of-way represents the best outcome for the environment, landowners and communities along the route.”
Roanoke Times: A pipeline runs through it: Stream crossings by the Mountain Valley Pipeline
Laurence Hammack, 12/11/21
“On an overcast October afternoon, clouds cloaked the top of Poor Mountain as a construction crew worked to string a natural gas pipeline across the highest point in the Roanoke Valley,” the Roanoke Times reports. “...Although much of the controversial project is completed, Mountain Valley still needs state and federal approval to cross the remaining water bodies, either by digging through or boring under them. If the State Water Control Board grants a permit when it meets Tuesday, opponents say it will replicate a known harm. “MVP has shown an inability to construct without violating water quality standards, so crossing streams in the remaining steepest portions of the route will inevitably bring more sediment pollution and harm to water resources,” Jessica Sims, state field coordinator for Appalachian Voices, one of the groups fighting the pipeline, told the Times. At public hearings in September, many speakers pointed to the company’s environmental record — more than 300 violations of sediment and erosion control regulations since work began in 2018 — in urging the board to deny the permit. Yet the Department of Environmental Quality, which cited Mountain Valley for those infractions, is recommending approval… “But to Roberta Bondurant, a longtime pipeline opponent who lives nearby, the signs stand for much more. The route of a “mega-pipeline” across steep slopes raises the risk of water pollution, landslides, explosions, marring of the landscape and other dangers for residents in its path, who Bondurant called “pipeline prisoners.” On Tuesday, she told the Times, “the water board has the opportunity to do real environmental justice.”
Ottumwa Courier: Navigator makes pipeline pitch to Wapello County residents
CHAD DRURY, 12/10/21
“Wapello County residents were skeptical. They felt burned when the Dakota Access Pipeline traversed the area, ruining farmland. Who's to stop Navigator Heartland Greenway from doing the same thing?” the Ottumwa Courier reports. “Officials from the Iowa Utilities Board and Navigator CO2 were on hand for a public information meeting at Bridge View Center Friday to point out a carbon-capture pipeline that will carry liquified carbon dioxide from ethanol and fertilize plants to storage wells in an underground rock formation in central Illinois… “But, it is anticipated the pipeline will traverse much of the same area of the county as the Dakota Access Pipeline, with a proposed route working through the northeast corner of the county, which had some landowners questioning the project. "It just seems like you're beating up on the same people twice," one landowner said. "What if a third pipeline wants to come, or fourth or fifth? I've been through the electric lines issues years ago, the pipeline issues. Spread it around a little bit. "No sense beating up on the same people who've had horrible experiences with Dakota." "...We acknowledge there will be crop loss," Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Navigator's Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, told the Courier. "We are proactively proposing a 240% yield compensation payable up front… "I don't think three years is enough to pay for a lifetime worth of damage," another landowner said. "Is this really the solution to our problems? Because I feel like when we have a manmade solution to these problems, it ends up not working out in our favor."
Pen City Current: Navigator tries to sway landowners on pipeline path
Chuck Vandenberg, 12/10/21
“Four representatives from Navigator CO2 tried to pitch the safety and benefits of a carbon dioxide capture pipeline that’s planned to run through Lee County,” the Pen City Current reports. “The pipeline has been designed to run 50 miles through Lee County from the northwest side to the southeast corner where it will cross the Mississippi River and progress through Illinois to a capture center in south central Illinois… “But many residents in attendance were frustrated with the damage done by previous pipeline installations including the Dakota Access Pipeline, that was installed in 2015. Esther Tweedy told the Current her family’s farm was “molested” by the crude oil pipeline… “Tweedy told the Current she felt like her whole family was intimidated, threatened, and misled by Dakota Access and she didn’t want that to happen again with the Heartland pipeline… “One landowner asked if the IUB was going to not allow any carbon to flow through the pipes until all landowner issues had been resolved. He said if that was the case, issues that occurred during the Dakota Access installation could be resolved because the company would be held up from producing until all land issues had been corrected.” “...Other landowners asked if there were better ways to capture the carbon, what the value of the carbon is, and why previous pipeline pathways can’t be used rather than taking additional easements. Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Vice President of Government and Public Affairs told the group the pipeline is one of the most contemporary and well-researched scientific mechanisms to reduce the carbon footprint of fertilizer plants in the country.”
The Hawk Eye: Navigator CO2 Venture's Heartland Greenway pipeline meets skepticism in Des Moines County
12/12/21
“Per Navigator's $3 billion proposal, 885 miles of the Heartland Greenway pipeline will go through Iowa; 9.31 will go through Des Moines County,” The Hawk Eye reports.
Alexandria Echo Press: Western Otter Tail County eyed for piece of massive pipeline
Karen Tolkkinen, 12/10/21
“A pipeline that developers say would be “the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world" is being proposed for ethanol plants in five states, including Minnesota, and a leg would run through part of Otter Tail County,” the Alexandria Echo Press reports. “A company called Summit Carbon Solutions says it has long-term contracts with 31 ethanol plants, including Green Plains Partnership in Fergus Falls, to build a pipeline to send captured carbon emissions from these plants for burial deep underground near Bismarck, North Dakota. Otter Tail County commissioners first learned project details in August, and received an update in late November… “If it didn't cross a river, it might not have had to get any county permission at all, as the county does not have pipeline or zoning ordinances other than within 1,000 feet of a lake or river… “Harris told the Press the pipeline project would benefit from federal tax credits, which offers $50 per metric ton of captured carbon dioxide. Congress is considering raising that amount to $85 per ton, and the pipeline would be able to ship up to 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year… “Two citizen groups have petitioned the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board for a state environmental review, but the board has not acted on those requests because Carbon Solutions has not yet formally sought permission for any pipeline. Whether statewide oversight would be called in is questionable, as the pipeline might only need county approval. “The PUC may not require a permit over the pipeline because CO2 is not defined as a hazardous liquid in Minnesota rule,” Tricia DeBleeckere, assistant executive secretary for the state Public Utilities Commission, told the Press.
Raleigh News & Observer: Environmentalists: Army Corps was wrong to authorize Robeson County gas pipelines
BY ADAM WAGNER, 12/11/21
“Two environmental organizations intend to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calling for a halt of operations for a pair of pipelines leading to a natural gas storage facility in Robeson County,” the Raleigh News & Observer reports. “Friends of the Earth and the Winyah Rivers Foundation notified the Corps on Nov. 30 that unless their concerns about Clean Water Act permitting for the Robeson Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline are addressed within 60 days — by Jan. 29, 2022 — the groups will file suit. The environmental groups contend that the Corps improperly issued a crucial authorization for two four-mile pipelines that carry natural gas to and from the Piedmont Natural Gas facility. They also say the Corps failed to consider how building the pipelines would impact the surrounding area, including clearing forested wetlands that could worsen known flooding problems and disturbing archaeological sites… “In a written statement, Donna Chavis of Friends of the Earth told the Observer, “While they promote themselves as a leader in addressing the climate crisis, Duke Energy continues to push high-risk schemes such as the (Robeson pipeline) in vulnerable communities. Investments in fossil fuel infrastructure make no sense financially or ecologically.” Chavis is an elder of the Lumbee Nation and Friends of the Earth’s senior climate campaigner. Last year, in a press release calling for a stop work order on the pipelines, Chavis told the Observer the Piedmont facility was “being built on a foundation of environmental racism during a climate emergency.”
WHYY: Mariner East Pipeline Builder to Pay Over $4 Million in Settlement Over Marsh Creek Lake Spill
Susan Phillips, 12/12/21
“Mariner East pipeline builder Sunoco will pay more than $4 million as part of a settlement agreement over polluting a popular state park in Chester County. Construction of the natural gas liquids line caused a large drilling mud spill at Marsh Creek State Park,” WHYY reports. “WHYY StateImpact Pennsylvania’s Susan Phillips reports the company will also get to re-start construction.”
Canadian Press: Limits on oil production no longer needed, Alberta government says
12/9/21
“Alberta will let its oil production curtailment policy expire on Dec. 31,” the Canadian Press reports. “UCP Energy Minister Sonya Savage told CP the province has not set production limits on the oil industry since December of 2020. She told CP the government's power to curtail oil production is no longer needed and will be allowed to expire. Alberta's previous NDP government decided to impose limits on the province's oil producers in late 2018 in an effort to align production with export capacity. At that time, pipeline constraints and a resulting supply bottleneck were causing Canadian crude oil to trade at a steep discount. However, since then, Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline replacement has become operational. The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is expected to come online in early 2023.”
Bloomberg: Trans Mountain pipeline shutdown effects to ripple into new year
Robert Tuttle, 12/10/21
“The effects of a three-week shutdown of a key Canadian oil pipeline will ripple into January,” Bloomberg reports. “Trans Mountain Canada Inc. will cut capacity by 16 per cent in January, the company told shippers in a notice. It’s also reducing December capacity by an additional nine per cent on top of previously-announced cuts. The 300,000 barrel-a-day pipeline is the only one that carries oil and motor fuel from Alberta to the Vancouver area, also supplying Washington state refineries with crude. Trans Mountain was shut in mid-November because of flooding that washed away soil and exposed sections of the line… “The shutdown of the pipeline after torrential rains in British Columbia prompted Vancouver’s sole refinery to suspend operations and contributed to a decision by the provincial government to ration fuel in areas of the province.”
Burnaby Beacon: Should Trans Mountain get to bypass a Burnaby fire safety bylaw?
Dustin Godfrey, 12/8/21
”Trans Mountain is seeking permission from the Canada Energy Regulator to bypass more City of Burnaby bylaws, including a fire safety bylaw, for construction at the Burnaby and Westridge Marine terminals,” the Burnaby Beacon reports. “The constitutional question being raised with the CER follows successful applications by Trans Mountain to bypass the city’s tree bylaw for construction of the pipeline expansion… “But Eugene Kung, a staff lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law who closely monitors the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, told the Beacon the decision on this needs to be made carefully, with the bylaws currently in question much more consequential than in previous cases… “However, Burnaby Mountain residents and the city’s fire chief have raised concerns about that response time, noting the fire could very likely be out of control by that time… “In the meantime, Trans Mountain said it has “repeatedly” had to adjust its construction schedules at the Burnaby and Westridge Marine terminals for over a year “to accommodate Burnaby’s ongoing refusal to issue permits.” Trans Mountain is seeking to have the project in service by December next year, which it said would require permits from the city by Jan 17, 2022 at the latest.”
NOW Toronto: In photos: Coastal GasLink off Wet’suwet’en Territory March
NICK LACHANCE, 12/12/21
“Several hundred people gathered for a march in support of Wet'suwet'en land defenders on Saturday December 11,” NOW Toronto reports. “Saturday, December 11 at Nathan Phillips Square. Protestors also marched through Toronto’s financial district, stopping at the offices of major financial backers of the Coastal GasLink project, including the offices of TC Energy, AIMCO, TD Bank and RBC. The decade-long battle against Coastal GasLink’s 670-plus kilometre pipeline, some 200 kilometres of which crosses unceded Wet’suwet’en territory in northern BC. The RCMP arrested dozens of individuals last month, including elders, legal observers, and two members of the media, at a blockade of an access road to Coastal GasLink’s pipeline project.”
WESA: He wanted to help Snitz Creek. Instead, he watched Sunoco pollute it
By Rachel McDevitt, 12/12/21
“Whenever long-time fly fisherman Russ Collins looks at streams around Lebanon County, the wheels in his head are turning about how to protect them from pollution and help them run faster to flush out sediment,” WESA reports. “There’s a saying that everybody lives downstream from somebody else,” Collins told WESA. “And it is important to take care of the water in your own footprint so that the next person down doesn’t have to deal with the pollution issues.” Collins has spent his retirement working with the Doc Fritchey Chapter of Trout Unlimited to get grant money for restoration projects and meeting with landowners to convince them to let the work happen. But one project has been almost taunting him. It involves a stretch of Snitz Creek in West Cornwall Township, where Sunoco needed to cross with its Mariner East pipeline… “It was beset with problems from the start in 2017. Construction crews repeatedly spilled mud used to drill the pipeline route in lakes and streams across the state. Some areas reported sinkholes and drinking water contamination. Ultimately, the state would fine Sunoco and its parent company Energy Transfer more than $20 million for 120 violations along the 350 mile-long pipeline. Sunoco would pay nearly $1.5 million for environmental incidents that include 16 violations in Lebanon County. Energy Transfer is now facing charges of environmental crimes from the Attorney General. At the heart of these incidents are people like Russ Collins, who watched in real time as Sunoco’s mistakes threatened places they love.”
The Observer: Enbridge reporting progress on capital projects in Sarnia area
Paul Morden, 12/12/21
“Enbridge Gas is reporting progress on construction projects that are part of a significant capital investment in Lambton County,” The Observer reports. “In June, a company spokesperson told the annual meeting of the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership that more than $500 million in natural gas projects were underway or planned for the Lambton area. They include a $164-million London Lines replacement project, serving customers in Lambton and neighbouring Middlesex County, that involves replacing about 82 km of natural gas pipeline from Enbridge’s Dawn facility to a station just outside of London Middlesex Centre. “Construction on the main pipeline is complete, however there are additional construction activities in the area that must be completed by Enbridge Gas in order to enable the pipeline to deliver natural gas to customers,” Enbridge spokesperson Leanne McNaughton told the Obsever. “These activities are currently scheduled for early 2022.” Enbridge Gas facilities in Lambton include more than 2,300 km of pipeline, as well as the Dawn storage hub that is said to be Canada’s largest integrated underground storage facility and one of the top natural gas trading hubs in North America.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: SIDE SWIPED
Matthew Choi, Josh Siegel, 12/10/21
“Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee are throwing their heft behind a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Interior Department’s November Gulf of Mexico oil lease sale,” Politico reports. “Chair Raúl Grijalva along with Huffman and Rep. Alan Lowenthal filed an amicus brief supporting environmental group Friends of the Earth as it seeks to null the sale based on what it alleges were violations of the National Environmental Protection Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. The amicus brief points to Interior’s own misgivings about the environmental reviews the Trump administration conducted and were used to clear the offshore parcels for the November lease sale.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Alaska weighs asking feds for wetlands permit powers
By Jael Holzman, Hannah Northey, Ariel Wittenberg, 12/10/21
“Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy yesterday said he’s preparing to ask state legislators to support a bid to take over wetlands permitting under the Clean Water Act,” E&E News reports. “It’s a move that would affect future permits for the contentious Pebble mine, as well as other mines in the state, although the Republican governor acknowledged it would be a “tall task” to get primary control over Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which permits dredging and filling of wetlands and waterways. Only three states currently have such authority… “The request will also ask for funding to seek primacy under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, a statute governing hazardous waste… “Florida was the last state to receive approval from EPA to take over wetland regulation under the Clean Water Act, joining ranks at the end of the Trump administration with Michigan and New Jersey… “But the governor’s comments are already drawing questions and some pushback. Victoria Clark, executive director of the Trustees of Alaska, a nonprofit public interest environmental law firm, told E&E the state is in a fiscal crisis and administering a wetlands program is expensive… "Alaska taking on the program was summarily dismissed years ago because it made no sense," Clark told E&E. "Nothing has changed since then except the governor’s declared war on the federal government."
Bloomberg: Mysterious Methane Plumes Spotted Above Texas Oil and Gas Fields
By Josh Saul, 12/13/21
“A satellite spotted two plumes of planet-warming methane rising from a patch of East Texas that's home to multiple oil and gas operations,” Bloomberg reports. “State regulators told Bloomberg they couldn’t identify the source of the methane, which is the primary component of natural gas and traps 80 times as much heat than carbon dioxide in its first two decades in the atmosphere. Stemming methane leaks and stopping unnecessary releases is one of the most powerful steps that can be taken to slow global warming. The two plumes were detected by geoanalytics company Kayrros SAS using a Nov. 29 satellite observation from the European Space Agency. Kayrros estimated that the plumes originated from different sources east of Dallas, about 15 miles apart, in an area dotted with fossil fuel infrastructure. The plumes had estimated release rates of 21 tons per hour and 24 tons per hour. It’s not possible to determine the duration of leaks because satellites only capture one moment in time. If they lasted an hour, the two clouds combined would equal the average annual emissions from about 800 cars running in the U.S. Some methane plumes found by satellites can be tracked to specific sources, especially if a company reveals that it released gas at that location at that time. But without anyone stepping forward, the source of such plumes — where multiple companies are operating in a small area — can remain a mystery. On-the-ground monitoring is also sometimes used to link releases to specific producers. Companies operating pipelines nearby include Boardwalk Pipelines LP, Enbridge Inc. and Atmos Energy Corp. Boardwalk said it didn’t have any leaks or releases that could have caused the clouds.”
San Francisco Chronicle: These Bay Area refineries want to ditch crude oil for biofuels. Critics say that’s a bad idea
J.D. Morris, 12/13/21
“Two oil companies say they want to transform their Bay Area refineries to aid California’s fight against climate change, but some environmental groups are skeptical and are pushing for closer scrutiny from local officials,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports. “Phillips 66 and Marathon Petroleum intend to convert their respective refineries in Rodeo and Martinez to what they describe as cleaner, greener ways of producing fuel for trucks and other heavy-duty transportation equipment. Instead of processing crude oil, the refineries would use material such as vegetable oil, animal fats and used cooking oil to create biofuels — mainly what the energy industry refers to as renewable diesel. It’s chemically the same as traditional diesel, except it’s not made from petroleum… “But local activists and environmental organizations are voicing reservations as Contra Costa County officials consider whether they should grant permits in the coming months. One of critics’ concerns is that the projects could rely heavily on soybean oil, which could cause harmful land use changes overseas and make the product more expensive and less available to companies that currently rely on it. That may cause current soybean oil users to switch to palm oil, which has been linked to deforestation and worker exploitation in other countries, environmentalists say. Some are pushing for public officials to shut down the refineries as soon as practicable instead of helping them tap into government incentives that will prolong their operations. “We see this as really a false solution that is being subsidized with public dollars,” Andres Soto, Richmond community organizer for the green group Communities for a Better Environment, told the Chronicle. “That money should be going into further research to develop the transportation of the future, which is electric.”
Los Angeles Times: California regulators sign off on phaseout of new gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers
PHIL WILLON, 12/9/21
“California regulators voted on Thursday to ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers starting in 2024 and portable generators by 2028, the latest step in the state’s aggressive effort to reduce harmful pollutants and transition toward a carbon-free economy,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “The new regulations by the California Air Resources Board require all newly sold small-motor equipment primarily used for landscaping to be zero-emission by the target dates, with some exceptions. The agency’s decision is based in part on the belief that battery technology will improve and zero-emission gear will become more widely available before the requirements kick in — though there will be an annual review to determine whether they are on target and whether regulation needs to be altered or delayed. The restriction applies to homeowners and commercial landscapers alike, and the ban also includes gas-powered weed trimmers, chainsaws and power washers. The regulation does not ban existing gas-powered equipment, however, which can continue to be used. Combined, these small gas-powered engines create as much smog-causing pollution in California as light-duty passenger cars. There are approximately 15.4 million small off-road engines in California and they produce about 141 tons of smog-forming emissions per day, according to the agency.”
EXTRACTION
Calgary Herald: Future of oilsands looks steady, less so for natural gas
Chris Varcoe, 12/12/21
“The Canada Energy Regulator doesn’t have a crystal ball to predict the future, nor do I. But its new energy outlook report offers an intriguing glimpse of what the next three decades may hold for oil and natural gas producers in this country,” the Calgary Herald reports. “Released this week, the study shows plenty of change ahead as the Canadian energy complex evolves with new pressure points, decarbonization challenges and shifting consumption patterns… “Given the relentless focus of producers to cut costs since the 2014 price crash, operations have become more resilient to commodity price gyrations. These factors set up the oilsands for moderate production growth in the coming years, according to the outlook in the Canada Energy Regulator report. “In three decades’ time, Canada will be producing roughly the same amount of oil as it is today,” Rory Johnston, managing director and market economist at Price Street, said Friday. “The Canadian oilsands has a very, very long life ahead of it, even under Canada’s current environmental outlook.” Under the study’s base-case scenario, which reflects evolving climate policies, total Canadian oil production will grow by 16 per cent to reach 5.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2032, then dip to 4.8 million barrels by 2050… “While the days of building megaprojects appear to be over, additional output can be added through smaller expansions… “If the report highlights the resiliency of the oilsands, it appears less bullish for the prospect of increasing Canadian natural gas production, with a lot riding on the country’s ability to grow LNG exports. The regulator’s outlook indicates total gas production, which averaged 15.5 billion cubic feet (bcf) per day last year, to remain flat until 2040. Then, it drops to 13 bcf per day by 2050, well below the outlook contained in last year’s CER report. “It’s slightly pessimistic. There was a belief that LNG projects would bring incremental growth to the basin and we don’t see that here,” Ian Archer, associate director of North American natural gas for energy consultancy IHS Markit, told the Herald.”
Environmental Health News: Community activists lauded in fight for environmental and racial justice
Douglas Fischer, 12/10/21
“John Beard, 18 years a city councilman for the Texas fenceline community of Port Arthur, almost gave up and walked away,” Environmental Health News reports. “Love Sanchez, a Karankawa Kadla mom from the Texas Gulf Coast, lived in the background, shy and voiceless. Veronica Coptis, growing up amid Pennsylvania's coal, oil and gas fields, was "angry and yelling a lot." And Travis London, deep in Louisiana's Cancer Alley, needed something hard and "crystal clear" to grab hold of. All four bloomed to become leaders, fighting for social and environmental justice largely against fossil fuel companies in their communities. All four were feted Thursday as 2021's Community Sentinel Award winners by the Fractracker Alliance, an annual award honoring those who address the root causes of environmental injustice in the United States, with a strong focus on racial justice in the face of oil, gas, and petrochemical activity. And all four spoke for the need for support in the fight to protect our health and environment.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Bloomberg: Biden Halts Federal Aid to New Fossil Fuel Projects Overseas
Jennifer A Dlouhy and Nick Wadhams, 12/10/21
“The Biden administration has ordered an immediate halt to new federal support for coal plants and other carbon-intensive projects overseas, a major policy shift designed to fight climate change and accelerate renewable energy worldwide,” Bloomberg reports. “The wide-ranging directive for the first time bars U.S. government backing for future ventures, potentially affecting billions of dollars in annual funding as well as diplomatic and technical assistance. The move was detailed in a cable sent late last week to U.S. embassies and obtained by Bloomberg News.”
E&E News: Biden to end fossil fuel financing abroad
By Sara Schonhardt, 12/10/21
“The Biden administration says it will immediately end federal funding for most international fossil fuel projects as it tries to exert global leadership on climate change,” E&E News reports. “Speeding the transition to a carbon-neutral future has been a hallmark of the administration’s foreign policy work, and the White House will increasingly promote clean energy and financing that supports emissions reduction goals in other nations, a spokesperson for the State Department told E&E… “The move would completely exclude coal projects but could also impact future natural gas terminals in Eastern Europe and the Caribbean that would have received U.S. liquefied natural gas shipments. It also contains exemptions if the project is necessary to protect national security interests or advance development goals in places where no viable low-carbon alternative exists, the State Department spokesperson said. While U.S. support for overseas coal has fallen in recent years, its funding of overseas oil and gas has been muscular. “So this sends a very clear signal about getting out of the vast majority of oil and gas projects,” Jake Schmidt, senior strategic director for international climate at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told E&E. “Importantly, it’s not just finance; it covers all international engagements, so it casts the net very broad.”
Truthout: ALEC Is Pushing a Bill That Punishes Banks for Divesting From Fossil Fuels
Alex Kotch, The Center for Media and Democracy, 12/12/21
“As climate change accelerates and environmental disasters proliferate around the world, a Big Oil-funded business lobbying group has decided to attack financial firms that are taking their money out of fossil fuel companies, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) has learned,” Truthout reports. “This month at the annual States and Nation Policy Summit of the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a pay-to-play organization that brings together corporate lobbyists and mostly Republican state lawmakers to author model legislation, members of the group’s energy task force voted unanimously to approve a new model policy that would prevent financial companies that end investments in oil, gas, and coal companies from receiving state government contracts or managing state funds. The bill, the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act, directs state treasurers or comptrollers to maintain a list of firms that boycott fossil fuels. Each government contract with a business that has more than 10 employees must include a verification that the company does not boycott fossil fuel businesses. The act and its backers claim that fossil fuel divestment will hurt workers and state pension funds, yet it ignores the growing U.S. renewable energy industry and its lucrative stocks. The Department of Energy estimates that renewable energy will account for 80% of U.S. power generation by 2050. At the energy task force meeting today, ALEC staff suggested lawmakers frame the bill as protecting the economic interests of their states.”
E&E News: Support builds for reversing Trump’s limits on ESG investing
By Avery Ellfeldt, 12/13/21
“A Department of Labor rule that would make it easier for retirement plan sponsors to account for social and environmental risks is garnering support from environmentalists and the financial services industry,” E&E News reports. “The agency announced plans in October to roll back two rules adopted by the Trump administration that placed additional scrutiny on “sustainable investments.” The Trump-era rules did so by making it more complicated for 401(k) and pension plan managers to consider climate change and related issues when investing on their clients’ behalf. Critics argued that the Trump-era rules would spur regulatory uncertainty and have a “chilling effect” on the booming sustainable finance market. Under direction from President Biden, the agency unveiled amendments to the rules that are meant to have the opposite effect. The amendments make it explicit that retirement plan sponsors subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 can, and in many cases should, be sharply attuned to such issues. “The proposed rule announced today will bolster the resilience of workers’ retirement savings and pensions by removing the artificial impediments — and chilling effect on environmental, social and governance investments — caused by the prior administration’s rules,” Ali Khawar, the acting assistant secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, told E&E.
Missoulian: UM faculty votes to divest from fossil fuels
Skylar Rispens, 12/9/21
“The University of Montana Faculty Senate passed a non-binding resolution on Thursday demanding that the school's retirement fund divest its fossil fuel investments,” the Missoulian reports. “The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA), where many UM staff have investments, has approximately $13 billion invested in fossil fuel industries and about $844 million in deforestation, according to the resolution. UM wildlife biology professor Jedediah Brodie authored the resolution after deciding to bring the topic of divestment to his place of employment as he saw other universities and governments making similar moves in recent years. “We all need to be thinking about ways to reduce climate change, and there are personal things we can do like flying less, eating less meat, just being conscious of where our power comes from,” Brodie told the Missoulian. “But it turns out that one of the most effective things we can do as individuals is make sure that our retirement funds are not invested in climate destruction.” The resolution passed in a Zoom poll with 61% responding in favor, 22% against, and 17% abstaining.
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
New York Times: A P. R. Giant Is Caught Between Climate Pledges and Fossil Fuel Clients
By Tiffany Hsu, 12/10/21
“After last month’s United Nations-sponsored environmental conference in Glasgow, the public relations giant Edelman praised the participants for reaching “a new level of international consensus that climate change is an existential threat to humanity,” the New York Times reports. “... Coming from a company that has worked with Exxon Mobil, Shell and trade groups that lobby for the fossil fuel industry, the pro-environment stance rang hollow to some people inside and outside the company. Some of the criticism leveled at Edelman came in the form of a petition from Clean Creatives, an initiative led by the environmental activist Jamie Henn that takes aim at public relations companies and advertising agencies that work with oil and gas corporations. The petition was circulated at the time of the conference, known as COP26, and was signed by more than 100 people, including activists, academics, authors, actors, diplomats and filmmakers. “Several private conversations with Edelman to ask them to drop these clients have led nowhere,” the petition said. “Given the stakes, we are now going public with our demand to Edelman: Drop Exxon Mobil and all other fossil-fuel clients.” Public relations companies are nothing if not image conscious, and the petition prompted the company to schedule a videoconference for its employees on Nov. 15 to address the issue… “One employee posed a question: Would Edelman potentially walk away from its fossil fuel clients? According to the three employees, Mr. Edelman’s answer was blunt: “No.” He added that the energy industry was in transition and needed Edelman’s services. He went on to say that Edelman will reject projects that delay progress toward a future with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions… “Debbie Davis, an assistant dean at the college of media and communication at Texas Tech University, told the Times that many public relations companies remain eager to work with all kinds of clients, even if it means criticism. “There are still agencies that work with casinos and tobacco companies — those are the choices made through capitalism,” she told the Times. “Edelman has multiple choices. They can choose to take a stand, they might go more middle of the road, or they might decide not to change at all.”
OPINION
Dispatches from the Frontlines: Planting Strength, Harvesting Hope
Jane Fleming Kleeb is the Founder of the Bold Alliance. She is also the Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, 12/10/21
“This fall, it was with a quiet sense of celebration that we harvested the 2021 crop of sacred Ponca corn planted across the now-rejected Keystone XL pipeline route in Nebraska,” Jane Fleming Kleeb writes for Dispatches from the Frontlines. “The year began with President Biden announcing, in an Executive Order on his very first day in office, that he would revoke the pipeline’s Presidential permit. He specifically stated this was because of a pledge he made on the campaign trail in response to a call led by Bold Nebraska put out to all candidates during the election campaign. We wanted the next President to promise rural America they would not sacrifice our land and water for a risky tar sands export pipeline… “Perhaps the ultimate lesson is that you have to believe, always, that you are going to win. No matter what. There was never a moment that the farmers and ranchers sensed that I or other leaders believed we were going to lose. We believed in them. We believed in the Tribal Nations. We believed we were on the right side of history… “When we gather again, in the fall, to harvest the 2022 crop, I would love to be able to harvest the belief that politicians and decision-makers have finally acknowledged the truth: any new fossil fuel infrastructure hurts the land and water and accelerates climate change. I want to harvest the hope that our new clean energy infrastructure includes the people on whose land it is building, in both the decision-making and wealth-creation process. This is what the Ponca corn represents to me, and to those who plant and harvest it alongside each other. We are now walking a path towards environmental, economic, and land justice.”
Sioux City Journal: LETTER: Carbon capture and storage is not worth the effort
Karen Heidman, 12/12/21
“In a recent column, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra touted the economic benefits to Iowa of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Two companies, Summit and Navigator, propose laying hundreds of miles of pipeline through Northwest Iowa to transport compressed CO2 from sources like ethanol plants to underground storage depots,” Karen Heidman writes for the Sioux City Journal. “Sobering facts to consider… 3) Carbon capture is energy-intensive, requiring about 20% of a power plant’s output to compress the CO2 for transport via pipelines to underground storage. This “efficiency” prolongs our transition from fossil fuels until it’s too late for alternative energy sources to save us from calamity. 4) CCS requires massive infusions of taxpayer money and the application of eminent domain. But the huge profits go to investors. That’s public money for private gain. 5) Pipelines leak. CO2 is toxic, as a community in Mississippi learned in 2020. It suffocates people and animals and can contaminate drinking water. Carbon capture and storage is a complex consideration—not just an economic opportunity with the added questionable benefit of carbon reduction. Visit sierraclub.org/iowa for more information and ways to resist. This must not be a slam dunk for Wall Street and a disaster for us.”
Roanoke Times: Munley: Mountain Valley Pipeline harms the environment and the economy
Cynthia Munley is an organizer of Preserve Salem, 12/12/21
“Virginia’s water resources have suffered a five-year attack by a bad infrastructure idea: convey Appalachian Basin gas to the coasts for liquefied natural gas export,” Cynthia Munley writes for the Roanoke Times. “Needed were super-sized 42-in pipelines to cross steep Appalachia — a pre-dubbed “engineering marvel” that citizens should love after the right shiny objects were dangled, then uncritical belief would follow: job-creation, “need,” cheaper energy and economic stimulus. The Roanoke and Virginia Chambers of Commerce dutifully obliged. Notorious promoters of new, unneeded fossil projects, the chambers repeated their claims that fail to address humanity’s current climate emergency while simultaneously striking blows to Roanoke’s authentic, sustainable, economic development in no need of Mountain Valley Pipeline’s “stimulus.” In contrast, the U.S. Forest Service prohibited MVP from crossing the forest or from even using roughed-up Pocahontas Road… “Southwest Virginia harbors a landscape crime: a permanent steel ridge now replaces our forested Blue Ridge and greets incoming air passengers entering our mountain playground where we prefer fireflies lighting our way and our landscapes. VADEQ and MVP have constructed a 100-mile monument to corruption vividly reminding Virginians of our Commonwealth’s “Virginia Way.” Equally needed is the end of “rubber-stamping” — especially in Virginia. There is a high human cost to pay — deaths to property owners from stress. It should not be this hard to protect water when everyone loves clean water! On Tuesday, citizens are counting on Virginia’s citizens water control Board to right the wrongs of DEQ and MVP in Richmond.”
Yale Climate Connections: How ‘Big Oil’ works the system and keeps winning
NAOMI ORESKES and JEFF NESBIT, 12/10/21
“Despite countless investigations, lawsuits, social shaming, and regulations dating back decades, the oil and gas industry remains formidable,” Naomi Oreskes and Jeff Nesbit write for Yale Climate Connections. “After all, it has made consuming its products seem like a human necessity. It has confused the public about climate science, bought the eternal gratitude of one of America’s two main political parties, and repeatedly out-maneuvered regulatory efforts. And it has done all this in part by thinking ahead and then acting ruthlessly. While the rest of us were playing checkers, its executives were playing three-dimensional chess. Take this brief tour of the industry’s history, and then ask yourself: Is there any doubt that these companies are now working to keep the profits rolling in, even as mega-hurricanes and roaring wildfires scream the dangers of the climate emergency?.. “Nearly every major oil and gas company now claims that it accepts the science and supports sensible climate policies. But their actions speak louder than words. It’s clear that the future they want is one that still uses fossil fuels abundantly—regardless of what the science says. Whether it is selling deadly pesticides or deadly fossil fuels, they will do what it takes to keep their products on the market. Now that we’re in a race to a clean energy future, it’s time to recognize that they simply can’t be trusted as partners in that race. We’ve been fooled too many times.”
Colorado Sun: Opinion: From Utah with love: a warning about oil trains that could be rolling through Colorado
Deeda Seed, of Salt Lake City, is a former SLC Council member, and is Utah campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity, 12/12/21
“Greetings from Utah. I write to warn Coloradans of the looming threat to your beautiful state — a threat devised by Utah politicians. It comes in the form of a proposed 88-mile-long oil railway that would quadruple oil extraction in northeast Utah’s Uinta Basin,” Deeda Seed writes for the Colorado Sun. “ If the Uinta Basin Railway is built it will need to be connected to the national rail network, and all routes lead through Colorado. Every day the railway would send up to ten 2-mile-long trains hauling crude oil through the Western Slope and the Front Range — through Colorado mountains, towns and valleys on the way to Gulf Coast oil refineries. This railway will cause irreparable damage to Utah, Colorado and our nation. It’s not too late to stop it. There is no such thing as a safe oil train. Uinta Basin Railway cars would carry waxy crude, which is less volatile than other forms of oil, but there are significant risks of accidents, spills and fires. This could wreak havoc on some of the most spectacular places in Colorado, harming wildlife, water and wildlands… “Please contact Colorado Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and ask them to tell the Surface Transportation Board to reject the Uinta Basin Railway. The board’s decision could come any day, so there’s no time to waste.”
Toronto Star: Odd alliance of investors and environmentalists keep oil stocks afloat
David Aston, 12/13/21
“Oil stocks are booming right now, which isn’t startling amid the economic recovery. What is more surprising is that the oil-stock boom might plausibly continue for years beyond the pandemic recovery phase,” David Aston writes for the Toronto Star. “I think we’re in a multi-year bull market for oil,” argues Eric Nuttall, a prominent energy investment manager and partner at Ninepoint Partners LP. You might think efforts to decarbonize the world economy would make oil a sunset industry with poor long-term prospects. The transition to renewable energy will likely take decades, however. That leaves plenty of time for oil-stock investments to pay off handsomely, Nuttall, lead portfolio manager for the Ninepoint Energy Fund, Canada’s largest oil-and-gas-sector mutual fund by asset size, told the Star. While the world continues to use oil, its supply is constrained in surprising ways. Due to an unusual combination of environmentalist and shareholder pressures, oil companies are showing uncharacteristic restraint when investing in production, despite high prices. “I see an environment where sufficient investment is no longer permitted, whether by environmental pressures or pressures from shareholders who want companies to prioritize returns over spending,” Nuttall told the Star. While no one can forecast what’s going to happen with much certainty, if supply is constrained while demand stays strong for an extended period, then prices should stay relatively high while those conditions prevail. If that’s the case, oil company profits and stock prices will likely do well.”
Utility Dive: Fuel neutrality, pipeline environmental reviews and a return to common sense at FERC
John Norris, partner at SPPG, former commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and former president of the Organization of Midwest Independent System Operator States, 12/7/21
“In his recent opinion piece criticizing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Guy Caruso fundamentally misunderstands the FERC actions he cites. In curtailing the wrong-headed Minimum Offer Price Rule and undertaking bona fide environmental reviews of pipelines, FERC is in fact fulfilling its responsibilities while respecting state authority and ensuring investments are in the public interest,” John Norris writes for Utility Dive. “Operating under its mandate to ensure fair market access, the current FERC leadership is leveling the playing field to allow solar and wind energy to compete in electricity markets. And it's undertaking the legally-mandated environmental reviews necessary before new pipeline projects are given the greenlight. These are just the kind of commonsense decisions FERC must make so that our energy infrastructure maintains reliability and protects the public interest… “FERC's review of the Northern Natural pipeline is another example of the commission operating under the law and in the public interest. This is not some frivolous undertaking. Federal courts have previously overturned FERC orders on pipelines for failing to consider the impact of emissions from a pipeline project. It is not partisan for FERC to begin to follow court rulings. In fact, continuing to ignore the courts would put the natural gas industry in the untenable position of having to rely on FERC orders that expressly contravene court directives. All you need to do is look at the mess created in St. Louis by the Spire pipeline to see that serious reviews by FERC are necessary to avoid uncertainty, which threatens both customers and industry.”